The Scott Valley community has rallied around an Etna High student athlete that is battling a rare form of cancer.

The community has held a number of fundraisers, including raffles and dinners, for Etna High junior Mariya Whittaker. Already, around $3,000 has been raised to help her family through this difficult time.

“The support from my family has been beyond helpful as well as the amazing community I live in,” Mariya said.

“The community has been overly gracious,” Mariya’s mother Wendy Whittaker said. “They really came together for us in our time of tragedy. I feel extremely grateful to have been born and raised in this valley and to be raising Mariya here.”

Mariya played three sports as a sophomore last season: volleyball, basketball and softball. She was a member of the varsity softball team and was a standout, batting .360 with two home runs

Mariya said that it was an early September day when her symptoms first began to pop up. She recalled that it was “a beautiful day in Etna, going to school, seeing all my friends and playing in a volleyball tournament in Yreka.” She said that she began to “have a headache all day thinking it was just dehydration, then to vomiting all night and the next day or two.“

It appeared to be a flu bug at first, but a few days in, it did not get better.

Mariya went to the doctors and eventually a CT scan was performed. A circle in the middle of her head was discovered and she was flown directly to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. Mariya was diagnosed with stage 3 Glioblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer. On Sept. 9, surgery was performed to remove the tumor.

Mariya went back to Sacramento for six weeks of radiation treatment and returned home two weeks before Christmas, her mother said,

“Mariya is doing really great,” Wendy Whittaker said on Wednesday. “We had an MRI last week which showed no new growth which is a great thing.”

Wendy added that the six weeks of radiation treatment “was long. We went to a lot of movies and malls.”

She said that the experience at UC Davis Medical Center for the radiation treatment was positive, considering the circumstances.

“UC Davis is an awesome place,” Wendy said. “She has a doctor for everything, radiation, surgery, pediatrics, cancer. They are very friendly, extremely helpful and kind. They made Mariya feel safe.”

Despite going through such a difficult time, Wendy said that “Mariya has handled all this with a very positive attitude. Her boyfriend Alex has been there for her every step of the way.”

Page 2 of 2 - Wendy described her daughter as “a very fun-loving, outgoing, beautiful, athletic young lady. This will not slow her down.”

Mariya said that the support she has received from her family, including her mother, who was by her side at UC Davis, has been vital.

“For the past several months my mom has been my number one supporter whether it was at one of my volleyball games or in the hospital staying the night with me in the uncomfortable room with just chairs and no beds,” she said.

It meant a lot to her when her sister, her friend, and her mom “shaved their heads,” Mariya said. “They wanted to show everyone they supported me.”

When asked what sports has meant to her life, Mariya replied that it “just means the world to me.” She added that she enjoys “the competition, rivalry, the adrenaline rush, and the fun with your friends and having friends from other teams.”

In October, Mariya was part of the homecoming court at Etna High before the start of a varsity football game.

It turned out to be a memorable night for her and said that it was an amazing experience to be a part of.

“Homecoming night for me meant so much,” she said. “I really enjoyed seeing all the girls dressed up so beautifully and I shared that moment with my best friend Molly Schaefer.”

“It was extremely fun and the community put on a chili feed to raise money for my family and I,” Mariya recalled. “When the varsity football team brought me a signed ball and said I inspired them, it really meant the world to me. I am definitely gonna frame it and show my kids someday.”

Wendy Whittaker expressed gratitude to “Darci Chesnick for putting the chili feed together and Linda Berry and her mom for the craft and spaghetti fundraisers. This community really is like a huge family in times of need. They all come together to help.”

She added that her daughter is “waiting to hear from “Make a Wish” for a very special wish.”

Donations for Mariya are still being accepted and can be made at any Scott Valley Bank branch.